Stock Up Showcase Running Back Accolades

<!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Our Prep Redzone Carolinas Stock Up Showcase was a huge success. Over the next few days we'll have scouting reports on every player in attendance. First, I wanted to break down some of the top performers in a different way.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>The running back group in attendance on Sunday was small but talented. To break them down, I'm giving several guys in attendance specific accolades to help differentiate their skill sets.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:heading --> <h2 class="wp-block-heading">Top Stock Up Showcase Running Backs</h2> <!-- /wp:heading --> <!-- wp:heading {"level":3} --> <h3 class="wp-block-heading">Speed Kills: [player_tooltip player_id='1149046' first='Chris' last='Livingston'], Carolina Forest; [player_tooltip player_id='1225217' first='Amir' last='Wallace'], Willow Spring</h3> <!-- /wp:heading --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>I quickly remarked during the 40s that some of our faster backs were bigger backs. Senior [player_tooltip player_id='1149046' first='Chris' last='Livingston'] from Carolina Forest is around 200 pounds and was still the fastest back at the combine. Not far behind was sophomore [player_tooltip player_id='1225217' first='Amir' last='Wallace'], who with a bit more time in a high school weight program could comfortably play at close to 200 pounds as well.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>I was impressed with how each player was smooth in drills. It wasn't just straight-line speed, but strong cutting ability that impressed me.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><a href="https://twitter.com/AmirWallace14/status/1868500559403393424?t=Z88zSCrf4WQ30Rtf2WUGWA&amp;s=19">httpofs://twitter.com/AmirWallace14/status/1868500559403393424?t=Z88zSCrf4WQ30Rtf2WUGWA&amp;s=19</a></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:heading {"level":3} --> <h3 class="wp-block-heading">Tough To Tackle in a Phone Booth: [player_tooltip player_id='1422638' first='Cam' last='James'], South Florence; [player_tooltip player_id='1238396' first='Ben' last='Young III'], St. David's</h3> <!-- /wp:heading --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>[player_tooltip player_id='1422638' first='Cam' last='James'] and [player_tooltip player_id='1238396' first='Ben' last='Young III'] come from opposite ends of the high school football spectrum. Young is our highest-ranked 8-man player in North Carolina, while James is three days removed from winning a state championship in South Carolina's largest class. One has a graduating class over over 400, while the other will graduate with barely 50 in his class.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>And yet, both are very, very difficult to take down. Of course, we weren't actually tackling in drills. If we were, they'd have been even tougher to bring down, seeing as defenders struggled to get a hand on them all day. Both on the smaller side, I love their upside. Young isn't afraid to bang in between the tackles, while James has home run ability.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:heading {"level":3} --> <h3 class="wp-block-heading">A Great Career Ahead: [player_tooltip player_id='1312448' first='Jovan' last='Howard'], Westwood, [player_tooltip player_id='1406127' first='Ayden' last='Leith'], Myrtle Beach Christian [player_tooltip player_id='1581461' first='Kaleb' last='Vines'], South Meck</h3> <!-- /wp:heading --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>We had several impressive young guys in attendance and Howard and Vines were two of the best. I didnt know Howard prior to camp and it took me over an hour to realize he was just a freshman. He already looks the part and will only get bigger and faster as he ages.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Leith, too, looks much more developed than you'd expect to see from a freshman. He was one of the bigger backs and tested well. He improved as the day went on in drills.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Vines really stood out once we got into route-running and catching the ball out of the backfield with several impressive catch-and-runs. He's one to watch going forward and he could be a guy who moves up the rankings.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:heading {"level":3} --> <h3 class="wp-block-heading">All-Around Threats: [player_tooltip player_id='1169882' first='Zach' last='Cullen'], Sun Valley; [player_tooltip player_id='1321038' first='Justyn' last='Joint'], Cheraw</h3> <!-- /wp:heading --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Honestly, I didn't expect to put Cullen in this category before seeing him live. If you read my <a href="https://prepredzone.com/2024/12/prep-redzone-carolinas-showcase-preview-nc-offense/">camp preview</a>, you'll know I'm high on Cullen's abilities, but I didn't think he'd be so effective as a receiver. It's just not something Sun Valley asks him to do. But even at his size, Cullen moves so well and is able to shake high-level pass defenders. Then he showed soft hands. It was an all-around great performance.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Joint's inclusion here makes more sense, as he does everything for Cheraw. He's a sort of gadget guy who takes handoffs, direct snaps, and quick passes designed to get him into space. He's faster than his hand-timed numbers indicate, and he's a fluid and smooth mover, both laterally and straight ahead.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph -->